"Could they be a new resident who just moved in? Otherwise, how could they get into our place?"

"That shouldn't be the case. If they were new residents, there would have to be some noise when they moved. How could so many of us not know?"

“…”

Watching the aunties get engrossed in their discussion, completely forgetting about her own problem, Xu Xinchen wiped her face and sighed helplessly.

"Let me tell you, if a new neighbor moves in, I'll definitely know within two days at most..."

"Don't even mention it, they might have just moved in yesterday..."

Standing to the side, listening to the aunties' discussion, Xu Xinchen finally grasped the key point: yesterday was the first time that woman had appeared in this place, and no one living nearby had seen her. That woman had come specifically to find her.

Combining what that woman had said when she came to see her yesterday, Xu Xinchen's heart sank. An ominous premonition lingered in her mind. She took a few deep breaths and tried to suppress the feeling of panic.

The aunties' discussion was almost over. One of the aunties, with sharp eyes, noticed Xu Xinchen, who was still standing to the side staring blankly at the floor. She quickly reached out and tugged at the others standing next to her, signaling them to turn their attention back to Xu Xinchen.

The aunties who were having a lively discussion stopped. One of them, whose hair was permed into small curls and who was wearing a bright green vest, cleared her throat and patted Xu Xinchen on the shoulder.

He reassured her, "Xiao Lu, don't be too nervous. That person might just be a new resident who moved into this area. You know we're usually either at home taking care of the kids or playing cards and mahjong at friends' houses this afternoon, so it's normal that we didn't see them."

Xu Xinchen was patted on the shoulder by the aunt, and finally came back to her senses. After turning her attention back to the aunt, she heard what the aunt said and a faint smile appeared on her face.

She suppressed her panic, her eyes darted around, and a plan came to mind: "I'm fine, Auntie. It's just the first time I've met that woman, and I don't know her."

As she spoke, she lowered her voice and looked at the woman who had just spoken with a mysterious expression: "Aunt Li, as you know, there are so many children in this area, and we often hear about child abductions lately. That woman was a stranger, and her appearance and clothing didn't seem like a bad person."

"So I'm a little worried about the children in our area. Think about it, if that woman is really a new resident, that's fine, but if she's just someone who happens to pass through our area and saw so many children here and got malicious intentions, then..."

Xu Xinchen, drawing on the child trafficking case she had inadvertently facilitated some time ago, reminded her neighbors to keep a close eye on that woman.

And her plan succeeded as expected. After hearing her words, the aunties who were initially indifferent immediately showed serious expressions. The auntie who had spoken first suddenly slapped her thigh.

"Xiao Lu," she said gravely, "you're absolutely right. No, I need to go home and tell my family to keep an eye out for strangers in the area. We don't want to get into any trouble."

That's their way of doing things.

"That's right, that's right. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered that there's such a thing as child trafficking. We have a lot of children here, and they're all very young. If that woman really is that kind of person, then it's terrible."

"Yes, yes, I need to go home and tell them..."

Listening to what the aunties were saying, Xu Xinchen finally felt a little relieved. No matter what, as long as these aunties helped keep an eye on things, she could relax.

Even if that woman finds an opening and comes looking for her again, she doesn't need to worry too much. She believes that if anything happens, these aunties will definitely help call the police.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Xu Xinchen raised her hand and waved the coin purse in her hand: "Aunties, I'm just reminding you to be more vigilant. After all, you all have children at home, so you should be more wary of strangers who suddenly appear."

"Yes, yes, Xiaolu is right. No, I have to hurry home and tell them. If it's too late, they'll all be at work. These things should be done as soon as possible."

"Exactly, exactly. I'd better head back right away; this kind of thing can't be delayed..."

Seeing the aunties who had just been crowding around disperse, Xu Xinchen shook her head happily, picked up her coin purse, and slowly walked towards the breakfast shop outside.

The breakfast shops in this area have been open for many years. I heard they were already open many years ago, but were forced to close for a few years at some point. Once the turmoil subsided, they reopened here.

With years of experience and technical expertise, this breakfast shop's food is quite popular in the area. Xu Xinchen counted the change in her hand and handed it to the elderly man with gray hair and beard who was standing in front of the stove.

.

The old man reached out and took the few thin bills, a kind smile on his face: "Alright, little girl, take it carefully, it's hot."

Xu Xinchen nodded, took the breakfast from the old man, politely thanked him a few times, and then turned and walked home with the two bags in her arms.

Whether it's psychological or something else, Xu Xinchen always feels that the air in the early morning is better than at other times.

She looked at the white clouds drifting across the sky, couldn't help but shake the bag in her hand, and opened her mouth to hum a few songs that were very famous in her time.

As she approached the corner, she turned and was about to go in when she suddenly saw something in the corner. She blinked, picked up the bag in her hand, and walked towards that corner.

A rustling sound came from that place, and Xu Xinchen frowned slightly, her face full of confusion.

"What is that? Is there anyone there? Who is there?" she asked, opening her mouth as she cautiously walked towards the spot.

Upon hearing Xu Xinchen's voice, the commotion in that area suddenly intensified.